Malcadh
A ''malcadh'' is a wolf who has been born with deformities, such as a missing eyes, tails, paws, ears, twised legs, or even three legs. Sometimes, pregnant she-wolves will go ''by-lang'' in fear they will birth a'' malcadh''. If the Obea finds the pup, she will take it away to a tummfraw, where the pup is expected'' to die. If they do survive, however, malcadhs will be accepted into a clan, and become a gnaw wolf. Description ''Malcadhs are wolves who were born deformed or sick, or wolves who arrive too early. Meaning of Word In the wolf language, malcadh simply means "cursed one". History 'Lone Wolf' A she-wolf of the MacDuncan clan, Morag, attempts to go by-lang, as she feared her third litter would not be the same as the others. She gives birth to three pups, two tawny females and a silver male. However, the silver pup has a splayed paw, with a spiral marking on the pad, thus deeming him a malcadh. Within a few hours, the Obea, Shibaan, comes and takes the silver pup. She abandons him at an icy riverbank, and leaves. However, the pup is rescued by a female grizzly, and is named Faolan. 'Shadow Wolf' After Shibaan is killed in an aftershock, Lael is chosen as the new MacDuncan Obea. While on his Trail of Shame, Faolan sees her passing by with [[Unnamed Malcadh Pup|a malcadh pup]] in her mouth. Although not physically deformed, the pup was born early. Faolan sees Lael abandon the tawny pup on a moose trail. Practices and Traditions At Birth Sometimes, she-wolves who are pregnant go ''by-lang''. Others stay in the pack. Where ever the she-wolf chooses as a birthing den, the Clan Obea will come to check for any'' malcadhs''. If she does find a'' malcadh'', she takes the cursed pup to a ''tummfraw'', where the pup is expected to die of starvation or hypothermia and/or be eaten by another animal, such as an owl. The Obea returns and the she and mother carry the surviving pups back to a pack, where the surviving pups are nursed and raised by another she-wolf. The annocenment of the malcadh is annoced, and if the mother and father are to survive, they must seek seperate and new Clans never to mate with or see each other again. Gnaw Wolves But if the malcadh does survive, however, it may be allowed back into a clan and pack, and be named, It then however becomes a gnaw wolf. But the life of a gnaw wolf is hard. They are the lowest-ranking and most abused member, becoming a living symbol of bad blood. If they win a gaddergnaw, their life is changed, and they become part of the Sacred Watch. Types of Malcadhs Malcadhs have deformities, like: *Missing an eye (Edme, Banja, Winks, Briar) *Missing their tail (Heep) *Crooked throat ("The "Whistler" ) *Missing a paw (Creakle) *Missing their ear(s) (Tearlach, Colleen) *Splayed or backward paw (Faolan, Twist, Finbar) *Born too early, and sometimes when she-wolves are late with pups (The Little Pup) *Twisted leg (Hamish) *Three legs (Leitha) *A forked tongue, like a snake's (Snowdon) Consenquenses There are, of course consenquenses about the birth of a malcadh. If a malcadh mother puts up a fight with the Obea trying to protect her pups, there is immediate death to all pups. "No muss, no fuss. The mothers of a malcadh never put up a fight."﻿ Known Malcadhs *Faolan *Twist *Winks *The "Whistler" *Heep *Tearlach *Creakle *Banja *Hamish *"The Little Pup" *Finbar *Colleen *Jasper *Snowdon *Briar *Streak *Others﻿ ﻿ Category:Wolf Words and Traditions Category:Malcadhs Category:Culture Category:Ranks Category:Wolves